We've Got More Intel on That Mercedes Supercar That Will Soon Rule the Earth

Forget 1,000 ponies. We could be talking 1,300.

By The Editors

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06 September 2016

Last week we reported that Mercedes-AMG was comin' in hot with a 50th anniversary hypercar that would top 1,000 horsepower. Now, more details have emerged, and that doesn't even tell half the story.

Let's put it this way: if Aston Martin's race team is working with Red Bull for their upcoming AM-RB 001, Mercedes must be working with whatever Bradley Cooper was hopped up on in Limitless.

Internally dubbed the R50, the new Mercedes — which appears to be engineered to compete directly with the upcoming Aston — could be packing as much as thirteen-freaking-hundred ponies, reports Automobile’s Georg Kacher. Said to weigh in at under 2,900 pounds, the R50 will also be trimmer than the McLaren P1, the LaFerrari and the Porsche 918 Spyder.

As for what's under the hood? Some are counting on a modified, road-converted iteration of the 1.6-liter turbocharged V6 hybrid powertrain used by Formula One racers, while other rumors indicate a powertrain derived from AMG’s high-strung 2.0-liter turbo four. That — combined with the R50’s “featherweight” stature and perhaps a Lotus-tuned chassis — could translate to a 0-60 time in under two seconds and a top speed over 220 miles per hour.

Design-wise, expect active aerodynamics and suspension, as well as a cockpit that'll put driver and passenger in recumbent positions like a Grand Prix racer. On the dash, the R50 will go super minimal, with a simple LED tachometer and head-up display in place of a traditional instrument panel.

Is she metal? Is she carbon? We know not, but won’t have to wait long. The R50 is likely to be revealed in under a month at the upcoming Paris Motor Show. And while just the one concept is said to be currently signed off on, if the response is favorable, production could be approved for anywhere from 25-250 units.